Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes

Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.

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Biography of King Christopher I of Denmark 1219-1259

Paternal Family Tree: Estridsen

In 1205 [his father] King Valdemar II of Denmark (age 34) and Dagmar of Bohemia (age 19) were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark and [his grandmother] Sophia of Minsk.

In 1214 [his father] King Valdemar II of Denmark (age 43) and [his mother] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark (age 16) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Denmark. The difference in their ages was 27 years. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Sancho "Populator" I King Portugal and [his grandmother] Dulce Barcelona Queen Consort Portugal. He the son of [his grandfather] Valdemar "Great" I King of Denmark and [his grandmother] Sophia of Minsk.

In 1219 King Christopher I of Denmark was born to [his father] King Valdemar II of Denmark (age 48) and [his mother] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark (age 21).

On 27th March 1221 [his mother] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark (age 23) died.

On 17th November 1239 [his brother] King Eric IV of Denmark (age 23) and [his sister-in-law] Jutta of Saxony (age 16) were married. He the son of [his father] King Valdemar II of Denmark (age 69) and [his mother] Berengaria Burgundy Queen Consort Denmark.

In 1241 [his brother] King Eric IV of Denmark (age 25) succeeded King of Denmark.

On 28th March 1241 [his father] King Valdemar II of Denmark (age 70) died.

On 10th August 1250 [his brother] King Eric IV of Denmark (age 34) was assassinated. Many suspected the assassination was ordered by his brother [his brother] King Abel of Denmark (age 32).. His brother Abel succeeded King of Denmark.

On 29th June 1252 [his brother] King Abel of Denmark (age 34)was killed by a wheelwright named Henner on Husum Bridge near Eiderstedt. His brother Christopher (age 33) succeeded King of Denmark.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough

A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'

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On 29th May 1259 King Christopher I of Denmark (age 40) died.